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A North Side grammar school principal touched a nerve with colleagues and created a fresh political wrinkle for Mayor Rahm Emanuel with an op-ed article laying bare what he says is a culture of silencing anyone who disagrees with the administration's education policies. The article by Blaine Elementary Principal Troy LaRaviere, which appeared in Saturday's Sun-Times, led several of his fellow principals to jump in with support and their own criticism, both on a blog he maintains and in Catalyst, a magazine that covers Chicago Public Schools. LaRaviere's piece also presents another political challenge for Emanuel going into an election year: An attack on the...

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A North Side grammar school principal touched a nerve with colleagues and created a fresh political wrinkle for Mayor Rahm Emanuel with an op-ed article laying bare what he says is a culture of silencing anyone who disagrees with the administration's...

A state task force formed in response to a Tribune investigation recommended on Thursday sweeping reforms to address absenteeism in Chicago elementary schools, saying the future of the city's children and its economy are at stake.
Chicago Public...

Jane C. Newman was a physical education teacher at Wiesbrook Elementary School in Wheaton at a time when budget cuts were prompting district administrators to consider reducing or eliminating gym classes.
Mrs. Newman held strong views about the value...

After a teachers strike, school closings and widespread budget cuts, city voters are increasingly frustrated with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's stewardship of Chicago Public Schools, a new Chicago Tribune poll shows.
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed disapprove...

Local Progressives To Discuss The Sequestration… The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The NWSOFA (NorthWest Suburbs Organizing For Action) Fiscal Issues/ Tax Reform & Jobs group is hosting a two hour discussion on the Sequestration and what it means...

With Washington in political gridlock over spending, President Barack Obama traveled Friday to Argonne National Laboratory to announce an energy proposal that would secure money for advanced vehicles by diverting federal revenue from offshore oil and...

Chicago Public Schools said Friday that 663 employees at schools the district is closing, including teachers, teaching assistants and bus aides, don't qualify to follow students to their new schools and will be laid off.
The total includes 420...

The day of financial reckoning for Chicago is not far off, with the city budget shortfall expected to near a record $1 billion in 2015 if major changes are not made to the government worker pension systems, city officials said Wednesday.
That stark...

Chicago Public Schools began laying off 200 lunchroom workers Friday in the latest round of pink slips issued by the cash-strapped district.
CPS officials said in a press release that the layoffs would save $4 million and are part of “an...

Chicago Public Schools offered some welcome news Monday to principals wrestling with tight budgets, saying funding will not be cut for schools whose enrollment on the 20th day of classes was lower than projected.
The district is in the first year of a...

The thinking behind pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree often goes like this: With an MBA I can advance in my career and, presumably, earn more money.
But like so much in business, the "income" side of the ledger has a companion...

Chicago Public Schools announced plans Monday to hire 245 people to help with moving furniture and supplies from schools that are being closed, while a group of Local School Councils said they are putting together a districtwide coalition to fight...

At this rate, shoppers hoping to get in on "Black Friday" deals will have to eat their turkey for lunch, as both Target and Toys R Us announced plans to open Thanksgiving evening.
In its earliest opening ever, Target said it will welcome...

Facing steep fiscal challenges, Chicago Public Schools plans to downsize central office operations by next fall.
The district is considering moving its downtown offices, at 125 S. Clark St., a few blocks away, to 1 N. Dearborn St., the site of the...

Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett told board members today that the district should downsize central office operations to save money.CPS is considering moving its downtown offices at 125 S. Clark St. a few blocks away, to 1 N. Dearborn...

Chicago’s Board of Education approved the leasing of a new downtown headquarters Wednesday, saying the move to smaller digs will help the financially troubled school district save $60 million over 15 years.
CPS will relocate its offices from 125 S. Clark...

The "Weeks in Review" feature is an open thread in which commenters can talk about any current events or cultural phenomena that have caught their attention, including but not limited to the topics brought up in our traditional roundup of ...

At a time of rising concern over pathogens in produce, Congress is moving to eliminate the only national program that regularly screens U.S. fruits and vegetables for the type of E. coli that recently caused a deadly outbreak in Germany.
The House last...

The strain of deteriorating economic conditions and the failure of governments to contain the damage are raising fears that a new financial market meltdown may be unavoidable.
The grim mood was evident worldwide as a cascade of selling in stocks and...

Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel plans to begin curbing the city's spending habits as soon as he takes office Monday.On "Day One," he will put a freeze on just about everything but paychecks and bills coming due. That will help fulfill his pledge to cut...